A Beautiful Messtag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-13193742015-08-02T15:01:37-05:00At A Beautiful Mess we share daily inspirations, D.I.Y. projects and recipes. We believe the best things in life are homemade. TypePada_beautiful_messhttps://feedburner.google.com10 Things I Love Sundaytag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201b8d142af4f970c2015-08-02T15:01:37-05:002015-08-02T15:03:15-05:00Hey friends! For this week's 10 Things I Love I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite picks from one of my longtime favorite companies, Schoolhouse Electric. I'm not gonna lie, my mind has been mostly on home stuff 24/7 lately. With our move coming up soon I may have spent a little (read- a lot) of time peeping cute home decor. It's my current obsession!...A Beautiful Mess

Hey friends! For this week's 10 Things I Love I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite picks from one of my longtime favorite companies, Schoolhouse Electric.

I'm not gonna lie, my mind has been mostly on home stuff 24/7 lately. With our move coming up soon I may have spent a little (read- a lot) of time peeping cute home decor. It's my current obsession! I spent all of last week staying at Laura's house and there was so much Scandal and so much house talk. :)

1. This watering can. It's just plain silly how much I love this! 2. A buffalo plaid bench? Yes. Yes. Yes. I want to take a photo with Jeremy wearing all plaid on this bench. haha!

3. Just ordered some of these for our kitchen. I will never admit how much time I spent looking at brass hardware (too much). Hexagons, though? So good. 4. Such a cutie!

5. This blanket, of course it's on my list. Maybe cute for Jeremy's new studio? 6. LOVE these sconces. Thinking about them for our sunroom.

ABM + Bloglovin'tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201b7c7b4c5d1970b2015-08-01T09:00:00-05:002015-07-31T10:59:43-05:00As some of you may already know, we are big fans of Bloglovin'. We've been using their site (and more recently their app) to follow our favorite blogs since 2011 (see—we even posted about it back then!). If you haven't checked them out yet, we highly recommend you give it a try as it saves us tons of time each week. And don't forget to follow us! xo. The ABM...A Beautiful Mess

As some of you may already know, we are big fans of Bloglovin'. We've been using their site (and more recently their app) to follow our favorite blogs since 2011 (see—we even posted about it back then!). If you haven't checked them out yet, we highly recommend you give it a try as it saves us tons of time each week. And don't forget to follow us! xo. The ABM team.

Before + After Video Tour of Our HFHS Project Housetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201b7c7b74648970b2015-07-31T14:00:43-05:002015-07-31T10:55:39-05:00Happy Friday, everyone! We wanted to share with you one final look at our Habitat for Humanity project house via video. Jeremy and I filmed at the beginning and end of this project so you'll get to see the rooms transform one by one throughout the video. It's sort of awesome to see. And, like I say at the end of the video, YOU are really the reason a home...A Beautiful Mess
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><span style="background-color: #ffffff;"> <a class="asset-img-link" style="display: inline;" onclick="window.open( this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0' ); return false" href="http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8358081ff69e201bb085bdf86970d-popup"><span style="background-color: #ffffff;"><img class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8358081ff69e201bb085bdf86970d image-full img-responsive" title="ABM Habitat House video (before + after)" src="http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8358081ff69e201bb085bdf86970d-800wi" alt="ABM Habitat House video (before + after)" border="0" /></span></a>Happy Friday, everyone! We wanted to share with you one final look at our Habitat for Humanity project house via video. Jeremy and I filmed at the beginning and end of this project so you'll get to see the rooms transform one by one throughout the video. It's sort of awesome to see. And, like I say at the end of the video, YOU are really the reason a home was renovated and donated this year. So thank you for reading and for supporting A Beautiful Mess. xo. Elsie<br /><style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/b3ktNmJmxQM' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt; background-color: #ffffff;">Credits // Author: Elsie Larson. Photography: Janae Hardy. Photos edited with <a href="http://shop.abeautifulmess.com/shop/actions" target="_blank">A Beautiful Mess Actions</a>. Video and music: Jeremy Larson.&nbsp;</span></p></div>
Fried Green Tomato Saladtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201b7c7b55211970b2015-07-31T08:20:46-05:002015-07-31T08:18:20-05:00Oh, man. If you've never had fried green tomatoes before, you haven't lived yet. I know, such a dramatic statement! But seriously, they are just too good. My dad is an avid gardener, assisted by my mom of course. So this time of year he's got all sorts of delicious things growing in his backyard. I had a hankering for fried green tomatoes, so I emailed him to see if...A Beautiful Mess

Oh, man. If you've never had fried green tomatoes before, you haven't lived yet. I know, such a dramatic statement! But seriously, they are just too good. My dad is an avid gardener, assisted by my mom of course. So this time of year he's got all sorts of delicious things growing in his backyard. I had a hankering for fried green tomatoes, so I emailed him to see if he still had any left (I was afraid they may have all turned red by now). He texted me that day, and after I got off work, I found myself walking down the rows of his tomato plants with my mom, filling our grocery store plastic bags full of green tomatoes, red tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and a few cucumbers. I mean, I was already there after all.

I might be giving it away from this story that I'm not much of a phone talker. Why would I email my dad and he text me back? I can't say I have an easy answer for this. I just don't like talking on the phone all that much—random fact about me.

This is very similar to a caprese salad in that it features tomatoes and fresh mozzarella as the main event. Yum! But instead of a balsamic reduction, we're gonna use some pesto...just makes this salad feel all the more fresh and summer-appropriate.

As with any deep frying event, this takes a little work, but is SO worth it. Honestly, it's probably a good thing that deep frying takes a little more effort otherwise I would be tempted to cook this way too often. :)

Fried Green Tomato Salad, serves 2 as a meal or 3-4 as a starter.

2-3 green tomatoes (or 4 if yours are on the small side)1/4 cup flour2 eggs1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)oil for frying, you'll need enough to fill your pan so the tomatoes can be fully submergedpesto (store bought, or you can make your own)1-2 tablespoons olive oilfresh mozzarella (I like the kind that is sold in a large ball so I can slice it thick!)lettuce or spinach for the salad

Slice up the green tomatoes so they are about 1/4 inch thick, discarding the tops. Set up your breading station by setting out three bowls or plates with a lip. You need one bowl for the flour, one for the eggs (whisk them together), and one for the bread crumbs. Now dip the tomatoes so they get fully covered in each bowl in this order: flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Set on a plate. Once you have them all breaded, pop them in the freezer for 6-10 minutes. You can prep your salad greens, make your pesto, and heat up your oil during this time.

In a heavy duty pot or dutch oven, heat the oil until it's around 350°F. I like to use a candy thermometer when frying, but it's not completely necessary. Have a plate lined with paper towels ready at the side. Once the oil is hot, use kitchen tongs to add 2-3 breaded tomato slices at a time to the pot (depending on how big your pot is). Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side. Remove to your paper towels once they look golden brown.

If your pesto is super thick, use 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to thin it until it can be easily drizzled or poured over your salad.

On a bed of lettuce or spinach, layer the fried green tomatoes with the sliced mozzarella and top with your pesto dressing. I like to enjoy this while the tomatoes are still warm. Enjoy! xo. Emma

At Home With Suna Locktag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201b7c7b04394970b2015-07-30T13:57:41-05:002015-07-30T14:05:01-05:00Today we are welcoming Suna Lock to the blog as she shares her beautiful Santa Cruz home with us! "The house is on the downtown Painted Ladies. I have admired Walnut Avenue since I first started visiting Santa Cruz in the 80's. I never thought I would end up living in a house on this street. We bought her in 2005, the year my daughter, Erica, was born. The minute...A Beautiful Mess

Today we are welcoming Suna Lock to the blog as she shares her beautiful Santa Cruz home with us!

"The house is on the downtown Painted Ladies. I have admired Walnut Avenue since I first started visiting Santa Cruz in the 80's. I never thought I would end up living in a house on this street. We bought her in 2005, the year my daughter, Erica, was born. The minute I walked around the house I knew that I had to sell everything I owned to make it work. Despite the rather ostentatious exterior, the inside of the home is a series of well-proportioned rooms with 12-foot ceilings and enormous double hung windows. Lots of the original features remain intact–the fireplace and chimney for example, which had remarkably withstood two massive earthquakes.

"I have a little broken clock on the mantel piece which was a retirement gift from the Bradford Dyers Association in the UK. I found it whilst visiting my father, in the old city of Jerusalem in Israel in an Aladdin’s cave of junk. It appealed to me because I was studying textile design at university at the time, and I was fascinated by the journey this little thing must have taken! The vendor wanted the equivalent of $20, which was a lot back then. So after some deliberation, I left it. Months later a parcel arrived from Dad for Christmas and there it was. He had gone all the way back and found the little clock, bought it and mailed it to me. It is my favorite thing in the world without a pulse.

"The house has evolved massively over time. Given what I do for a living, it is impossible to sit still. So it really is an ever-changing landscape. There were some large things like remodeling the kitchen and opening the kitchen and dining rooms up to one another which were slated and saved for. We also stained the floors black from the yellow oak color they were originally which added drama and elegance. My bathroom was a DIY rip out on a tiny budget. The sink and medicine cupboard were salvaged from the city dump. The glass tile was on Craigslist and the floor tile was from a local reclamation yard. I did all the labor myself on weekends and evenings. It's not everybody's cup of tea, but I love it. It reminds me that I am capable, independent and resourceful.

"The house stands on a corner lot, so it has gardens all around it. There are stairs up to a front door which lies beyond a wooden deck. To summarize: I fell in love."

Thanks so much for sharing, Suna! You can find more of Suna here and on Instagram. xo.

We would love to feature your home on ABM! Send 5-10 amazing photos to submit AT abeautifulmess DOT com

Sister Style: Summer Dresses tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201b7c7b57177970b2015-07-30T08:12:31-05:002015-07-30T08:11:18-05:00Hey, friends! Feels like summer is FINALLY in full swing here. We've had so much rain this season that it's felt like such a different summer than we're used to. Nice to have some bright and sunny days to get outside and enjoy. :) Random fact: do you see my (Emma's) dress? I recently thrifted it for $3! It had long, poof-y sleeves that I altered myself since I've been...A Beautiful Mess

Hey, friends! Feels like summer is FINALLY in full swing here. We've had so much rain this season that it's felt like such a different summer than we're used to. Nice to have some bright and sunny days to get outside and enjoy. :)

Random fact: do you see my (Emma's) dress? I recently thrifted it for $3! It had long, poof-y sleeves that I altered myself since I've been getting more and more into sewing this year. I just loved the length and bottom hem of this dress, but the sleeves made it feel really costume-y. But, easy and quick fix. Elsie and I grew up thrifting together (A LOT!) so I love it when I can still find new-to-me items that I can add to my wardrobe. I'm also crazy for Elsie's flea market purse—love those stitched florals!

Credits // Author: Emma Chapman, Photography: Jacki Moseley (And yes, we shot these photos by Jacki's family store! That's why her last name appears on the wall.) and Elsie Larson. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.

Tips for Finding Your Dream Home!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201bb084ebc6b970d2015-07-29T14:00:42-05:002015-07-31T10:56:02-05:00It's always easier to go through stressful processes and seasons with friends by your side. While it's such an exciting time as well, finding and buying a new house definitely brings its own set of challenges and hangups to the table. So I've been glad that four different people in our office have been trying to find new houses all at the same time. There's emotional strength in numbers for...A Beautiful Mess

It's always easier to go through stressful processes and seasons with friends by your side. While it's such an exciting time as well, finding and buying a new house definitely brings its own set of challenges and hangups to the table. So I've been glad that four different people in our office have been trying to find new houses all at the same time. There's emotional strength in numbers for sure, and it's been nice to share our similar successes and horror stories with each other. Since we are all buying houses for at least the second time, we've certainly learned a few things in the process that we thought we'd pass along to our other friends—you! Here are the top things to keep in mind if you are looking for a new place to call home:

Make a list of priorities: Like the Rolling Stones say, "you can’t always get what you want," so you'll want to make sure that you have a solid list of priorities in order of what's most important to you and strive to get at least the top things on that list in one place. Unless you are just the luckiest duck on the planet or have an unlimited budget to build everything to your exact specifications, you'll eventually have to give up something on your list, but you'll want it to be a lower priority item. Are you most concerned about location? Square footage? A private backyard? You may have to forgo one thing to get another, but it's easier to be more focused when you know what's a nonnegotiable. Also, decide which things are preferences vs. needs on your list as well. For example, I loved the vaulted ceilings we had at our last house and really wanted to have them in our next space as well. I kept trying to hold out for tall ceilings, but the house that fit our top priorities was actually a Mid-century ranch. No vaulted ceilings anywhere. I had to realize that what was a "need" was actually more of a "want" and just switch my visual expectations a bit to get the things that really mattered most.

Think ahead: How long do you plan on staying in this house? If you are single or newly married, you may be fine with a smaller starter place that you plan on selling in a few years to get something bigger as life changes, but if you are planning on expanding your family or working from home soon, make sure you factor in the space you'll need so that you won't outgrow the space too quickly. In other words, don't buy for something that has features that you know will only work for a year if you plan on spending 10 years there. Of course, life is unpredictable and you can't plan for everything, but consider the things you know for sure or at least will most likely be the case in your near future.

Decide on your "most lived in" spaces: Where do you spend the most time in your current house? If you are an aspiring amateur chef, then you'll probably care about the kitchen set up a lot more than your friend who orders in most nights. So you should be more focused on loving that spot in a new house. I spend a lot of time in my living room watching movies with my kitties (especially when my husband is out of town on tour), so I would trade a kitchen or dining area that was just OK for a cozy den any day of the week. You probably won't be head over heels for every single room in a house, but if you get rooms you love where you spend the most time, then that tiny master bathroom won't seem quite so annoying.

Stick to your budget (and don’t torture yourself): Obviously the budget question is totally different for every person looking at a house, so there's really not a magic number for this category. A relatively standard goal is to try to keep your mortgage payment (with taxes and insurance included) at around 25% of your total household monthly income, but if you are living in a bigger city with high housing prices, you'll probably have to raise that number quite a bit. Just make sure that you've looked at your overall monthly budget to see what you really can afford (be honest!), and then only look at houses within your price range. Believe me, it's not a good idea to start looking at houses that are 1-2 price ranges above yours "just to see what's out there" because you will get house fever for something you can't buy and all of a sudden you think all the houses within your budget are totally lame. It's a lose-lose; don't do it. Depending on the market, however, it can be OK to look at houses a little over your budget in case there is a seller you can negotiate down to your range, but that's a lot more likely in a market that favors buyers instead of one where the sellers have control over pricing.

Decide if you want a reno or a move-in ready house: Buying a house you plan on completely redoing is pretty different from getting something you can simply move right into, and most people know which category they lean towards (although you may be somewhere in the middle). If you know which path you want to take right off the bat, it helps narrow down your search and you can focus on viewing each house from that point of view. This decision also plays into pricing because if you decide on doing a renovation, then you don't want to look at houses that are already at the top of your budget—you'll have no money to renovate with! It's also good to keep in mind that you can't automatically get a renovation loan for the difference in your house price and your pre-approval amount (as in you can't necessarily get a 50k renovation loan just because you were pre-approved for 200k and only spent 150k on the house). They are separate loans, and sometimes the renovation loan is a lot harder to get. Your loan officer will help walk you through what's possible for your financial situation, but you'll want to be extra sure you can afford the renovations you want before you commit.

Use X-ray vision to see through the "ugly": I know this is easier for some people than others, but it's really important for finding a diamond in the rough instead of passing on a house for cosmetic reasons. Just think about the bones of the house as you walk through it. Pay attention to the layout. Do you like the flow of the room spacing or is it awkward? Asking questions about the actual set up of the house rather than focusing on paint colors or flooring choices you don't care for will help you decide if you like what really matters about the space. Paint colors can be changed and flooring can be refinished, but it's a much bigger deal to move the kitchen to the opposite end of the house. It felt like the owner of our last house had chosen all the paint and tile colors to purposely torture my personal inner color palette (there's no such thing as "bad" colors, they just weren't "my" colors), but I liked the layout and location of the house. So I knew I would love it once it was done my way. If your biggest complaint in a space is the easily-changed orange accent wall, then it may actually be a great space for you!

Consider moving a little further out from town if on a budget: This one also can vary from place to place (you may not really live near a "town" to move further from), but those that are closer to a big city know that, generally, the further out you go from town, the more your money will buy for you. In some places, just going another 10 minutes out or moving to a "less trendy" spot can get you the same house for hundreds of thousands less. It's crazy!

Don’t give up! Especially if it takes a while, there will be a lot of days where you are so over this whole thing. You think you can't afford anything good, you'll never find the right location, you may as well just quit. Don't! We experienced this feeling a lot this year since we were obsessively looking every day for three months until we found something. Even if it takes months, it's worth it when you finally get something you love. And, the added benefit of a search that takes a while means that you've gotten a really good feel for that price range and location, so you know what's good, bad, overpriced, and underpriced, which will make you more confident about your choice once you make one. And if you don't get a house that you make an offer on? It's OK, that just means it's not the house for you and yours is still out there somewhere. We put in five offers (with bidding wars in every situation) before we got the house we did, and while we were disappointed every time we lost a house, we really feel that the one we ended up with is the best one for us all around.

I'll add one more mini tip at the end, and that's to celebrate when you finally get the house. Elsie's Nashville house buying process was a lot shorter than mine was, but she kept a bottle of champagne for us in their fridge for months until we finally snagged a house and could celebrate together. So once you get that offer accepted, make sure to do something special to mark the occasion—you deserve it!

Wow, so much to deal with, right? Overall, buying a new place is a big (and sometimes stressful) decision, but we hope that our experiences will help make your move a little bit easier. Just picture yourself in your new space with all this hassle behind you...you can do it! Do you have other house hunting tips that you found helpful? xo. Laura

HFHS House: Bedrooms (Before + After)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201bb084ff8b1970d2015-07-29T08:11:40-05:002015-07-29T11:37:44-05:00The house we purchased for our Habitat for Humanity project had two bedrooms, which we're excited to show you today! One dilemma we faced was how to update the bedrooms without knowing who would be using them. It was a real head scratcher. We didn't know if the family who will eventually own this home would be a single mom with two young daughters, a single dad with a teenage...A Beautiful Mess

One dilemma we faced was how to update the bedrooms without knowing who would be using them. It was a real head scratcher. We didn't know if the family who will eventually own this home would be a single mom with two young daughters, a single dad with a teenage son, a couple with a newborn, a couple with no children, or really anything in between. We just didn't have that information. For a while we thought we might just leave the rooms completely unfinished, but that just didn't feel right when you considered what we were doing throughout the rest of the house.

Finally, we decided to keep the rooms as simple as possible but have adult-size beds in each. If the family doesn't end up needing one, they can always donate it or store it in the basement until they do.

In the first bedroom (pictured above), we removed the old carpets and restored the wood floors. We repaired the walls and gave the room a fresh coat of paint. In each room we decided to paint one wall with an accent color to give the space a little personality. This room got mint (same as the door in the kitchen)! Our thought was that even if the family doesn't enjoy the color we chose, they will only need to paint over one wall (instead of all four), which is an easy and inexpensive update they can choose to make if they like. Won't hurt our feelings one bit. :)

The second bedroom already had exposed wood floors, so we simply had to restore them, repair and paint the walls, and add a few fun touches like these DIY cement side tables. I love how cheery both bedrooms ended up feeling. We hope they make the family smile when they walk into their new home someday! xo. Emma, Elsie, and the ABM team.

Orange Zest Sconestag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201b8d13ce9d3970c2015-07-28T13:59:33-05:002015-07-28T13:57:42-05:00Although lately I've been much more of a coffee person than I've ever been before, I grew up being strictly a tea drinker. While I still love to dunk cookies into a warm drink, there aren't too many things than can beat a freshly made scone with your morning cup of tea (or coffee). My mom used to make these orange scones for us growing up and drizzle a sweet...A Beautiful Mess

Although lately I've been much more of a coffee person than I've ever been before, I grew up being strictly a tea drinker. While I still love to dunk cookies into a warm drink, there aren't too many things than can beat a freshly made scone with your morning cup of tea (or coffee). My mom used to make these orange scones for us growing up and drizzle a sweet zesty icing on top. They are best just out the oven and perfect for a girls' brunch or special lazy Saturday breakfast.

Mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut in the pieces of cold butter and orange zest until the mixture looks like course crumbles.

Add in the orange juice, milk and egg and mix until combined. Transfer the sticky dough to a floured surface and gently fold in flour until the dough is only slightly sticky.

Roll out the dough to make a 10" circle and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar on top of the dough. Use a pizza cutter to cut the circle into 8 sections (or 12 if you want smaller scones), and place the sections on a greased baking sheet or ungreased baking stone with a little room between the slices.

Bake in a 400° oven for 15-17 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

For the icing, use a fork to mash together the warm butter and powdered sugar. Then add in the zest, juice and milk to form a runny buttercream type icing. If the icing is too thick, add more juice or milk, and if it's too runny, add more powdered sugar.

Drizzle the icing on the warm scones and serve immediately.

The scone itself is only lightly sweet, but it's balanced out by the light sugar coating and the sweet drizzled icing on top. If you aren't going to serve these right away, they will still be delicious, but I would wait to ice them until right before you serve your scones.

I have to say that I was having a bit of a rough week when I made these and the smell of the orange zest was so calming that baking these was kind of a stress relief from the rest of the day. I couldn't resist eating one right out of the oven, and it tasted so good and reminded me so much of home that I actually teared up a bit after my first bite. Whether you cry when you eat them or not, I hope making these becomes a happy memory for you too! xo. Laura

Geometric Copper Necklace DIYtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8358081ff69e201b7c7ad7a37970b2015-07-28T08:15:39-05:002015-07-28T08:15:32-05:00This copper trend, huh! I just can't quit it! I use a lot of these copper pipes in my personal projects and was experimenting with smaller cuts when they sort of fell together in a triangle and I had a flash of inspiration. I have made a straw bunting before and arranged a himmeli from these same pipes. So the same principle of threading them together to form a shape...racheldenbow

This copper trend, huh! I just can't quit it! I use a lot of these copper pipes in my personal projects and was experimenting with smaller cuts when they sort of fell together in a triangle and I had a flash of inspiration. I have made a straw bunting before and arranged a himmeli from these same pipes. So the same principle of threading them together to form a shape easily married with the idea of making it into a wearable piece. It feels like a power necklace. I love it!

You'll create five triangles in a row going from smallest to largest and then back to smallest. Tie a loop knot at one end of your leather cord and then string one of your 1" cuts of pipe over your cord. Follow it up with two of the 1.5" cuts of pipe. Then loop the loose end of your cord back through the shortest piece of copper in the same direction you originally looped it through. Keep pulling your leather cord through all three pieces until you get them snugly into a triangle shape near the knotted end.

For your second triangle, you'll repeat the process of adding one of the 1" pieces but then follow up with two of the 2" pieces of copper. Run that cord through the 1" piece for that triangle again and adjust things so that they're snugly nestled next to your first triangle. Repeat again with another 1" short piece and your two longest cuts of pipe for your center triangle. Continue in that fashion with your 2" cuts for your fourth triangle and your 1.5" cuts for your last triangle.

Once you've adjusted them all so they are snugly touching top corners, tie another loop knot close to the corner. Trim it so that you have about 1/2" of a tail.

Then tuck that tail into the copper pipe so it won't be flapping around. This creates your bib piece. You'll use the rest of your leather cord for the straps in the next few steps.

Using your pliers, connect your end caps to your toggle ring and clasp.

For a necklace that rests on your chest, cut two lengths of leather that are 12" each. Loop one length through one of the loop knots on one side of the triangles. Bring the two loose ends together again and tie a knot as shown above. Repeat on the other side.

Trim your loose ends so they're even and about 1/2" from your knot. Then clamp your end caps over the loose ends with your pliers.

You now have a bold piece from the hardware section to liven up your favorite casual tee and boyfriend jeans. Simplify things a bit and do just one triangle on a longer leather cord for a completely different, yet equally fantastic necklace! -Rachel